They say short men tear up sheet, I say men with ‘yam foot’ tear them up even more!

You know the type: calloused, crusty, ashy and accompanied by hammer toes and blackened nails.

Lotion is a luxury for the poor skin that covers that area. It is unattractive and unappealing and most women would cringe when a man with yam foot crawls into bed with her. Talk about an instant turn off!

Jamaican men are notorious for neglecting the care of their feet. Indeed our favourite superstar athlete, the fastest man in the world Usain Bolt had his feet brought into prominence on social media – not for their exceptional role in his speed – but their desperate need for a pedicure.

So why do our men pay such little time and attention to their feet? The issue is multi-tiered. Firstly our strong farming and agricultural background dictate that we do not just farm on flat arable, soft land but also rocky, hillsides. Our men wear boots and shoes that are hard and tough to withstand the terrain while being durable.

While they make the process easier, it does a number on their feet. Hours upon brutal hours encased in boots that are unyielding is no joke thing and the very next day they get up and shove their feet into the uncompromising footwear again.

Another factor to consider is that most of our menfolk see it as unmanly to care for their feet or to get a pedicure. “A woman ting dat” they chime when the suggestion is made to help them chip away 10 years’ worth of dead skin or hardened tissue.

Apparently, the rough foot is viewed as manly. Indeed if a male gets a pedicure and even thinks about getting a clear polish or some nail hardener applied, the fear of being termed ‘metrosexual’ is enough to scare him into not doing it.

They think because their feet are usually covered or in socks, no one cares about it, least of all them. Water and soap are seen as enough. So when it comes to their feet: out of sight, out of mind.

Ironically while they do not place much value in the care of their feet, most men want a partner with pretty, pedicured feet.

They actually like to touch, massage and feel on a woman’s feet and a few even have a foot fetish where they go crazy when a woman gets all dolled up in fishnet stockings and her feet are on point. Go figure!

Listen up guys, follow the big man! Go fix up those feet, pretty please.

— Story written by C.W.